Sunday, December 26, 2010

Did you miss me while I was gone? Just a little Jackson 5 lyric humor. I haven't blogged since like 1985 or something. I have been burning the candle at both ends and sometimes the middle. Not only have I been working at obtaining my bachelor's degree, I have also been working at taking care of my health. One thing that became clear in my quest for knowledge was the horrible cost of diabetes. I took a digital media course and my project focused on type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The course was a blast! I got to use all these cool gadgets like flip cameras,video recorders, Imovie09 and macpros. I made a tiny one minute movie in Imovie called sugar which was alternately about "sugar"diabetes and old adds extolling the virtues of sugar. While my brain and my technical know how grew so did my concern for my own health. Just talking to my father and my Co-worker about the high cost of diabetes had me running for the nearest treadmill. I'm not a rich chick yet and when you figure that a three month's supply of insulin cost you $400 dollars with insurance and that's not including the testing supplies, you start looking for the exit signs to get off highway diabetes 101. Both my parents have type 2 diabetes and I'm trying to avoid it like the plague. So what's a girl to do when she wants to become a newer sleeker model?

Hire a trainer,

Start drinking wheat grass smoothies

Sleep in garbage bag pajamas?

I didn't do any of those things-what am I mishugina? I have the time to schlep my self from class to be tortured everyday by Sven the body beautiful? I started simple- I walked a lot with Ms. A around her neighborhood and we walked by a dance studio that peaked my interest. I took a ballroom dance course and learned to salsa. Salsa made me feel so good inside! It is totally a self-esteem booster! I just loved the music so it was an exercise I didn't mind doing. Eventually I did join a gym that fit my wallet perfectly well thank you! I became more confident in my ability to actually make the changes I needed to see the results I wanted. I also cooked for myself instead of eating out a lot. I'm crazy cheap so this fit me perfectly. You don't want to know how much money I saved by cooking for myself. I am proud to say that I have finally broken the plane. I am for the first time in 15 years below 200 pounds. Was it easy? Heck No! but I found that by focusing on what I wanted in my life it was easier to say no to the things that kept me from obtaining them. I'm still on the journey. I have to keep myself out of the reach of diabetes. I don't have all the answers at all-we all slip up and have issues. You just have to get back up and try again.